Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea

Intelligentsia’s blends are home-brewed here in Chicago. We love their El Diablo Dark Roast, but we also dig their commitment to Direct Trade Coffee purchased from individual farmers.

From their website: We adhere to the philosophy that the compassionate treatment of people and the environment inevitably yields higher quality.

As we search for ways to be green in the windy city, buying locally roasted Direct Trade coffee seems like a good option to have.

It’s true that the coffee industry has done some major harm to the environment, and in response to the “greenwashing” that sometimes happens in the trade, Intelligentsia Purchaser Geoff Watts has written several articles about Direct Trade, including pieces on Shade Grown coffee and Organic certification.